Tuesday 24 April 2018

"The world is over populated anyway,"

one of the more distant neighbours told me this morning. He was out walking his dog and stopped to speak to me as I was picking up the Senior Cat's paper from the lawn.
He had just told me that the front page picture of a smiling Duchess of Cambridge was a "disgusting fuss about nothing".
This man would make Malcolm Turnbull or Jeremy Corbyn look like avid monarchists. I avoid him whenever possible. 
Before he retired he was a high ranking union official. His views on workers' rights, what workers should and should not be able to do and more make me shudder. He admires the Chinese leadership, and thinks people like Putin and organisations like Hamas all have "something going for them". 
I strongly believe that workers should be treated fairly and well and be treated that way in a safe working environment. I also believe that if it is possible for them to participate in some decision making then that's likely to be a good thing. I don't think they should be running the company unless they take on all the financial risks and responsibilities involved. 
My neighbour disagrees. He would also "send all members of the so-called royal family to Siberia and make them work for their living". 
The new baby was of course too much for him at all. He was seething.
      "Perhaps," I told him as I edged backwards, "We should just be happy that another baby has arrived safely and that his mother is alive to care for him."
      "She shouldn't have had any more children. She shouldn't have had any at all. The world is over populated anyway."
      "So your daughter shouldn't have had the twins?" I asked, "That's six children for them isn't it?"
He strode off without answering. 
I know. I shouldn't have said that. 

3 comments:

Jan Jones said...

Ha! Good for you!

jeanfromcornwall said...

Oh yes you should have said what you did! There is a grand old fashioned word for men (and women) like that. MISANTHRoPISTS I have met a few in my time and there is nothing you can do about them, We would hate to have to live in the world, were it to their liking

Jodiebodie said...

Yes, you should have said what you said about having six grandchildren. If he thinks it is okay to challenge everyone around him with his unsolicited views, then it is certainly okay for others to challenge his point of view in return.

Good for you!

Really, if he had been able to control his urges better he would not have had the daughter who then brought six more children into the world. How does he sleep at night? Maybe that is why he is so cranky? Not enough sleep!